KiCad

KiCad: Design electronic schematic diagrams and printed circuit boards with this reliable application

KiCad is a small piece of software that lets you design electronic schematic diagrams and printed circuit boards. The tool also enables you to build netlists and open Gerber files. The practical, clean UI bundles a large number of dedicated parameters you can tweak.

The included editor lets you customize the current page settings, carry out essential editing tasks (cut, copy, paste, delete) and other actions such as undo/redo, zoom in/out and draw wires and busses.

Also, KiCad lets you perform tests to ensure the circuit is valid, add local or global labels, insert junctions, select the measurement unit, use components from the built-in library and print the circuit boards.

NET files can be uploaded and you can record macros, assign hotkeys, view the selected footprint as well as save your projects as ZIP archives. The tool includes many more useful options, such as the ability to configure design rules in the PCB editor, work with multiple layers, zoom in/out of the working environment, add tracks, circles, arcs, zones and polygons, switching to 3D mode and printing PCBs or exporting them as WRL, CAD or DSN files.

KiCad lets you open Gerber files to analyze the PCB image’s copper layers, solder mask, legend and drill holes. Lastly, the tool allows you to add an external editor, use the PCB calculator and create logos from BMP files.